I added this thread to our Matt McGinn group. As you can see, McGinn is prolific. Looks like I have a few duplicate threads to combine, though. One Matt McGinn parody that I really like is Down-a-Down, recorded by Pete Seeger.

Bit snappy there Good Soldier! I knew Matt pretty well and have most of his vinyl stuff.

A man of his time I think, don't believe he would be very impressed with our "liberal democratic society"....Matt said exactly what he thought, but with a sparkle in his eyes. We often discussed Cuban Communism over a couple of "wee halfs"

Have you not found his website? A mass of info and recordings of Matt himself, and by various admirers and at tribute nights there. See: Matt McGinn We do a Matt McGinn tribute night in Linlithgow every year, which has the approval of his daughters who sometimes have attended: we don't just sing the songs but act them out too, as you'll see from some of the clips on YouTube. The next tribute night(15th)will be on 5th March 2016. Here's maybe not the best example! Bar Steward

To paraphrase Cliff from "Cheers," it's a little-known fact (or may in fact be well-known) that one of Matt's commercial hits "I Have Seen the Highlands" features a very young Peter Bellamy playing squeeze-box behind... a Bill Leader production, no less.

As for books: apart from "McGinn of the Calton" there is a smaller book/pamphlet called "Scottish Songs of Today" ("today" being circa 1962-64)which includes a number of lesser-known songs of his: I usually try to do one of these every second year or so in the Linlithgow tribute night. Then there are others that are n neither of these books but some of my friends know and have performed.

The song that Joe mentions is usually called "Two Feet Tall" and has a different refrain of "Hey Laily Laily Laily" rather than the "Down Down" that Pete Seeger sang. Matt and Pete were of course good friends, and it may be that Pete changed it for his own singing of it. The Hey Laily version is on the Matt McGinn website as "Two Feet Tall", and is on the "Honesty is out of the Fashion" album. We had fun staging that one, with someone having to shuffle around in their knees!

As for a list of all his songs, there are 100 videos and recordings on the Matt McGinn website - as per the link I gave before. Some from Matt's original recordings, others taken at the various tribute nights. And even this does not cover them all......

Aye, nae bother. It's a great resource: I think his daughters have something to do with keeping the site maintained and the content, even if not personally responsible for the tech of setting it all up. The person who has perhaps put the most clips on YouTube is BigManio, so worth looking at his channel. Now what am I going to sing this next year?

I've just tried that website. There's certainly some great stuff there BUT the site design is horribly gimmicky. The video pane hides some of the text, which therefore reads "The Matt McGinn W McGinn of the Caltc" (letter o partly covered so it looks like c). And when I play the songs they are accompanied by crackles, implying something awry somewhere.

Noo a deid man seldom walks, he very rarely talks, (dead) It's no very often you'll see him running aroond, But I'm a refugee from a graveyard in Dundee And I've come tae haunt some houses in Glasgow Toon And I've come tae haunt some hooses in Glasgow Toon.

Noo the reason I arose was to get masel' some clothes, (myself) For I really get helluva cold below the ground, And I whispered tae masel', "ah, I think I might as well Hang aroond a while and ha'e some fun, I'll hang around a while and ha'e some fun".

Noo a chap put oot his light on a cold and frosty night, I showed him one of ma eyes and I skelped his head, (smacked) He said "Oh", and I said "boo" he says, "who the hell are you" ? I said, "don't be feart, I'm on'y a man that's deid, (afraid) Oh no, don't be feart, I'm only a man that's deid".

Well the feller knelt and prayed and this is what he said; "Oh why, in the name of God have you picked on me" ? So I battered him on the lug and I pulled awa' his rug. (ear) "The reason", I said "is just tae let you see". "The reason" , I said, "is just tae let you see".

Well he brought the polis in and I belted him on the chin, (police(man) The polis turned aroond and he blamed my friend. And he marched him aff tae jile and he'll be in there quite a while, (off to gaol) But I'll see naebody taks his single end, (House of one apartment, flat) Oh, no, I'll see naebody taks his single end.

Noo the polis thought him daft and a lot of people laughed When the feller said a ghost was in his hoose, But what the feller said was true and I might be visiting you, So just remember. I'm still on the loose, Aye, just remember, I'm still on the loose.